canon 6d or nikon d610


voice123

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Jan 16, 2012
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I am looking for a full frame DSLR.

seeing that both 6d and d610 are entry ff dslr.

1) Mainly usage for portrait and will get 24-70mm f2.8 on either camera.
2) price i believe both should cost the same. (not sure)
3) i am also concern about sharpness and auto focus speed and response time between shots.

these are my main concern. need some pro advice.
 

1) Both brands got great 24-70 (and third party selections as well). For portrait, you'll be well served with either one.. and perhaps great prime lenses as well.
2) Price.. well this one you need to check them yourself.
3) Sharpness? I think the lens is a bigger factor here. As for AF speed and response time I guess both will be more or less the same. Dunno with burst speed tho.

Was in your position and in the end I went with Canon, simply because I've been a Canon user since long time ago, so yeah.
 

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i am same as u, canon user...from 5dm2 now 600d ...one thing is 6d crosstype very few
 

I am looking for a full frame DSLR.

seeing that both 6d and d610 are entry ff dslr.

1) Mainly usage for portrait and will get 24-70mm f2.8 on either camera.
2) price i believe both should cost the same. (not sure)
3) i am also concern about sharpness and auto focus speed and response time between shots.

these are my main concern. need some pro advice.
1. Both brands have very good 24-70 lenses
2. I'm not sure about pricing since I don't really consider buying FF DSLRs
3. Sharpness and AF speed are plenty sufficient for both brands. Take note that higher resolution sensors means amplifying your mistakes. For portrait shooting, since you're probably going to use Single Shot AF (Canon) or AF-S (Nikon), even entry level crop frame DSLRs will be pretty quick. I don't know about response time between shots, but I'm going to assume you mean buffer size. Again, for portrait use, it's unlikely you're going to shoot burst mode continuously for a few seconds, so buffer shouldn't be a problem.

But, is there any problem with using your 600D and an equivalent lens, like a Canon 17-55 or Tamron/Sigma 17-50? If you want more background blur, you can compensate with larger aperture and/or longer lenses, like Sigma 85/1.4 or a 70-200 f2.8. Unless of course you don't have that much working distance
 

i am same as u, canon user...from 5dm2 now 600d ...one thing is 6d crosstype very few

Not very few, in fact, only 1 cross AF point. BUT:

The whole discussions regarding non-cross AF points as a weakness is overly exaggerated.. And for portrait, I guess you'll have more time to re-adjust focus (or probably re-compose a bit) as necessary. If great photographers using 5D mk1 or mk2 in the past could do it, there's no reason 6D can't do it.

The non-cross AF points will fail if you purposely focus to subjects which contrast is of the same orientation with the AF point. Something like.. pointing a vertical AF point onto subject with vertical contrast only. But then in real life very rarely I came across this situation.. and there's always a focus and re-compose method if you die2 need to do it.

However, since 6D's AF points are not as many & not as densely positioned like D610, D610 will have better tracking capability (at least on paper). And if it's still not enough then probably you need to go with the higher model (for example if you earn living as a sport photographer). Also take note that D610's 9 cross points are all located on the center, not spread around the frame.

FYI I use 6D's outer AF points (non cross) extensively.. coming form 60D, it's hard to remove the habit :bsmilie:

IMHO, both cameras will serve you well, and if you already invested in Canon system, then just stick with Canon (unless you don't mind offloading your gears and spend more on a different brand).
 

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Not very few, in fact, only 1 cross AF point. BUT:

The whole discussions regarding non-cross AF points as a weakness is overly exaggerated.. And for portrait, I guess you'll have more time to re-adjust focus (or probably re-compose a bit) as necessary. If great photographers using 5D mk1 or mk2 in the past could do it, there's no reason 6D can't do it.

The non-cross AF points will fail if you purposely focus to subjects which contrast is of the same orientation with the AF point. Something like.. pointing a vertical AF point onto subject with vertical contrast only. But then in real life very rarely I came across this situation.. and there's always a focus and re-compose method if you die2 need to do it.

However, since 6D's AF points are not as many & not as densely positioned like D610, D610 will have better tracking capability (at least on paper). And if it's still not enough then probably you need to go with the higher model (for example if you earn living as a sport photographer). Also take note that D610's 9 cross points are all located on the center, not spread around the frame.

FYI I use 6D's outer AF points (non cross) extensively.. coming form 60D, it's hard to remove the habit :bsmilie:

IMHO, both cameras will serve you well, and if you already invested in Canon system, then just stick with Canon (unless you don't mind offloading your gears and spend more on a different brand).

quite true. but as my 600d is crop and having a ff dslr i need to get news lens so getting d610 or 6d like no different.
 

Not very few, in fact, only 1 cross AF point. BUT:

The whole discussions regarding non-cross AF points as a weakness is overly exaggerated.. And for portrait, I guess you'll have more time to re-adjust focus (or probably re-compose a bit) as necessary. If great photographers using 5D mk1 or mk2 in the past could do it, there's no reason 6D can't do it.

The non-cross AF points will fail if you purposely focus to subjects which contrast is of the same orientation with the AF point. Something like.. pointing a vertical AF point onto subject with vertical contrast only. But then in real life very rarely I came across this situation.. and there's always a focus and re-compose method if you die2 need to do it.
Very true. In real world situations I have seldom encountered a situation where non-cross type AF points would not be able to focus. Most people just think that non-cross type points are inferior to cross type points without knowing the actual reason why.

However, since 6D's AF points are not as many & not as densely positioned like D610, D610 will have better tracking capability (at least on paper). And if it's still not enough then probably you need to go with the higher model (for example if you earn living as a sport photographer). Also take note that D610's 9 cross points are all located on the center, not spread around the frame.
I portraiture, I don't think tracking capability is really necessary...

FYI I use 6D's outer AF points (non cross) extensively.. coming form 60D, it's hard to remove the habit :bsmilie:
I don't like using the outer AF points on my 60D though...not because they aren't good (they are all cross type), but because it's slow to change AF points on a Canon DSLR, compared to Nikon. You need to press the AF selection button first, then use the control dial or d-pad to change AF point. You can set it such that the d-pad will change AF points without first pressing the AF selection button, but it only works when the camera meter is on (if it's off, you have to press half shutter first). IIRC Nikon DSLRs can change AF point using the D-pad without the camera meter being on (someone correct me if I'm wrong here)

As such, I leave my AF point at center all the time and focus-recompose, with back button AF.
 

I portraiture, I don't think tracking capability is really necessary...

Ah of course you don't do tracking on portraiture.. just adding extra information that TS might want to know in relation to the AF system of both brands.

..You can set it such that the d-pad will change AF points without first pressing the AF selection button, but it only works when the camera meter is on (if it's off, you have to press half shutter first).

Yes, I enable this option on my 60D. The 8+1 direction button works nicely with the 9 AF points. To be honest I was never aware whether it only works when camera meter is on :bsmilie: I was primarily a prime shooter, so the thin DOF doesn't really allow me to focus and re-compose.
 

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Yes, I enable this option on my 60D. The 8+1 direction button works nicely with the 9 AF points. To be honest I was never aware whether it only works when camera meter is on :bsmilie: I was primarily a prime shooter, so the thin DOF doesn't really allow me to focus and re-compose.

Yeah I shoot events sometimes for my school, and there are many times where I missed shots because I couldn't change the AF point in time, since the camera went into idle and the meter went off. I have also set the option to change AF point with the d-pad, but it doesn't quite work if you have some down time between your shots. So now I just focus-recompose. Actually focus recompose still works with fast primes, but they must be long enough. Longer primes means recomposing will shift the focal plane only by a bit, so your focus won't be off by a significant amount.
 

is nikon jpeg less saturated colors compared to canon ?
because after looking photo taken with d610 and 6d on various lens...
i feel tat nikon images are softer.
 

There bound to be differences in the JPEG output. Each has their own processing algorithm.

It is said that Nikon is more toward green & bluish, while Canon is warmer.. But then again it's just small changes you can easily do in Photoshop.

Also if you shoot RAW then most likely you'll need to process them anyway.

Nikon images are softer? Beware, there are a bunch of Nikon users in Clubsnap currently preparing to counter that argument :) :) :)

is nikon jpeg less saturated colors compared to canon ?
because after looking photo taken with d610 and 6d on various lens...
i feel tat nikon images are softer.
 

No use looking at images online and comparing them. Image quality, AF speed, waiting time for both if be very close. Even if one is really superior I doubt you can tell the difference. I think it boils down to user experience and the handling of the camera. Both are different systems and the buttons are placed differently too. Since you are a Canon user I suggest you go with Canon as you are already familiar with the menu system. However, I urge you to ask yourself these questions:

1) Why do you want to upgrade? Does it help you take better pictures?
2) Does camera specs matter so much to you? Why not take a trip to the camera store and try these two cameras and see which one feels better?

Hope these questions can help you and with your decisions too.
 

There bound to be differences in the JPEG output. Each has their own processing algorithm.

It is said that Nikon is more toward green & bluish, while Canon is warmer.. But then again it's just small changes you can easily do in Photoshop.

Also if you shoot RAW then most likely you'll need to process them anyway.

Nikon images are softer? Beware, there are a bunch of Nikon users in Clubsnap currently preparing to counter that argument :) :) :)


tats my personal look n feel, not putting down on nikon.
also the price of both dslr cost abt same but the 24-70 canon cost a bomb.

No use looking at images online and comparing them. Image quality, AF speed, waiting time for both if be very close. Even if one is really superior I doubt you can tell the difference. I think it boils down to user experience and the handling of the camera. Both are different systems and the buttons are placed differently too. Since you are a Canon user I suggest you go with Canon as you are already familiar with the menu system. However, I urge you to ask yourself these questions:

1) Why do you want to upgrade? Does it help you take better pictures?
2) Does camera specs matter so much to you? Why not take a trip to the camera store and try these two cameras and see which one feels better?

Hope these questions can help you and with your decisions too.

now i am started to think again. i maybe like red ring more
 

is nikon jpeg less saturated colors compared to canon ?
because after looking photo taken with d610 and 6d on various lens...
i feel tat nikon images are softer.
Are you comparing the images from camera screen or on computer monitor? In my experience, Canon DSLR screens have higher resolution and are more saturated than Nikon DSLR screens, though newer Nikon DSLR screens have a lot higher resolution compared to the older Nikons.

Anyway, there are Picture Styles to tweak the look of the JPEG files. Even if you shoot RAW, it's useful to tweak the picture styles to alter the JPEG preview you see on the camera. If you want to see saturated images, the standard picture style (I find Vivid to be too saturated, but this kind of thing depends on personal preference) will do the trick. If you want to have a histogram that most accurately shows you the dynamic range of your RAW file, you can try downloading the Technicolor Cinestyle that videographers like to use
 

You can get canon 24-70 mark 1.. Already reasonably priced now. No need for mark 2.

IMO, if you already have 5d mk 2, you don't really need upgrade to 6D or D610. But if you want to then go ahead :)
 

You can get canon 24-70 mark 1.. Already reasonably priced now. No need for mark 2.

IMO, if you already have 5d mk 2, you don't really need upgrade to 6D or D610. But if you want to then go ahead :)

don have 5dm2 already. so will have to get 2nd 24-70 m1
 

You can get canon 24-70 mark 1.. Already reasonably priced now. No need for mark 2.

IMO, if you already have 5d mk 2, you don't really need upgrade to 6D or D610. But if you want to then go ahead :)

Can also consider Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC, but zoom opposite direction from Canon lenses
 

So far there is a lot of talk on cross points non cross points, focus and recompose...

Some points:
- In the end if you are only doing posed portraiture, cross or non cross point will not matter as much. Because you will probably be shooting in good light.
- If you are using fast primes and you are working with very thin depth of field, it is best not to use focus and recompose.
- For portraiture work, I use AF-C too, but single point continuous focusing.
- no matter which direction you turn to "zoom", dust still get in. Even when you focus on a prime, dust also gets in.
- 24-70 mk I is a lot more inferior to mkii. The mk I is one of the weakest 24-70 in the market... especially in terms of sharpness.
- Cross type AF points matters a lot if you are lowing in low light. Can be the difference between getting a focus lock and not able to get one.